Manhattan Borough President Not a Fan of 7-Eleven

Borough President Gale Brewer has had it up to here with chain stores in Manhattan.

“We have the chain stores. I hate to say this, but if I see one more 7-Eleven, I’m going to throw up,” Ms. Brewer quipped this morning.

Ms. Brewer was speaking at a CityLaw Breakfast Series event on the various borough presidents’ priorities, where she fielded a question on promoting more mom-and-pop small businesses.

Ms. Brewer, a former city councilwoman, replied by touting new zoning ordinances limiting the the size of banks and other storefronts on the Upper West Side. “But I think we need a larger discussion,” she said.

“I think it’s a very important issue, particularly for Manhattan,” Ms. Brewer continued. “The other boroughs, to be honest with you, do not have as much of a challenge. Because I asked every single one of my 51 colleagues, ‘Is this a problem?’ And it was primarily in Manhattan.”